Many ask, "how do you live up there, it's so cold"??  My answer to that is to have winter hobbies like ice fishing to keep yourself busy and enjoying the great outdoors, and this winter was a banger for fishing.  Lake of the woods cranked out lots of walleyes and we were able to enjoy some nice days crappie fishing.

The gear has been all put away until next thanksgiving!  On to soft water and getting in a boat for some weekends to chase bass and walleye's around.  

Although we typically are in pursuit of largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, it seems to be the year of the walleye every time I have been on the water.  Not going to complain since there have been many nice sized gravel lizards this spring we have tricked into biting artificial baits and they have been fun to tangle with.  

Last weekend was much more of the same in the heavy heat we have been having here in MN.  Many days hitting high 80's in late May and early June has seemed a little early in the year to have this heat wave but didn't seem to phase the walleye bite.  Think we caught 13 on Saturday all while throwing artificial baits for bass.  Made for a fun day of mixed bag.  

Let's dive in-In no particular order

1. Fishing Electronics, this category has some great items and I couldn't decide on just one so I am going to list 3 options for the fisherman in your life.  These units all make amazing ice fishing units and the first 2 are also able to be used on your boat in the summer for forward facing sonar.  

• Lowrance Explorer Active Target Live Sonar Bundle 
• Garmin 93SV W/ Livescope Plus
• Vexilar FLX-30BB 

      2. FishVault - This is a really cool gift for the fisherman in your life.  It is a unique box that you will get in the mail with a variety of great items in it.  You can get a 12 month subscription, it's the gift that keeps on giving. 

This is what you will receieve in the Jan 23 elite box-

      3. Stormy Kromer - This is a must have for those colder days in the fall and winter.  A classic look with comfort and functionality like no other.  I spend most of my winter wearing one of these that I have had for 6-7 years.  

      4. Bushnell Pro Rechargeable 400 Lumen Head Lamp - Have tried many head lamps over the years but this one is a winner.  Being rechargeable with a usb is really a nice option.  Great for all outdoor activities from camping, to hunting, and fishing.  

      5. Grundens Deviation Ankle Boot - Keeping your feet dry and warm in the boat, doing fall chores, or just needing to slip into something to shovel the driveway, this is the best slip on boots I have ever put on my feet.  

      6. Grizzly Drifter Carryall - A great do all kind of insulated carry bag.  When your looking to throw things together for a day on the pontoon, at the pool, or supplies to the fish house this is one I always keep at arms length.  Available in 3 colors to match your mood or swag style.  

      7. Covert WC30 Cellular Trail Camera - For the hunter on your list, this trail camera will change the way you scout and hunt.  I have been using these cameras for years from Covert and could never imagine having to check an SD card ever again, getting pics in real time is the deal.  

      8. Irish Setter Ice Trek Boots - The absolute deal for insulated winter boots.  The BOA lace system makes getting into and out of these boots a breeze.  Whether your snowmobiling, ice fishing, or just having to be outside in the snow and cold this is the boot I live in all winter.  

      9. Leatherman Wave Plus Multi-Tool - This is a go everywhere type of tool.  I always keep one in my boat since it has the best hook file when you need to touch up a few hooks(this model only of leatherman).  Being that it is also the "do all tool" you also have the knife, pliers, and many more options with this thing. 

     10. Recteq Pellet Grill - If you like to cook or want to take your cooking to the next level these guys have got a grill for you.  I couldn't pick one since they have so many sizes.  You can't go wrong with any of them, but find the one that fits your needs the best.  

It was another short and sweet summer of guiding and chasing bass on the Champions Tour.  We visited the Mississippi River, Lake Vermilion, Gull Lake, and Serpent to wrap up our season where a new Skeeter Boat was awarded.  

Ran the Vexus VX21 but never really ran into the mega schools or wads of fish I pride myself on finding.  I managed to make the championship 8th in points but conditions on Serpent Lake that day did not end up making for an off shore slug fest like I had hoped.  It was won fishing primarily shallow junk fishing and when that happens I am usually not your guy to bet on.  I had found a bunch of areas with both smallmouth and largemouth out deep but needed some wind and clouds to really get them to bite, the day of the event was sunny, 88 degrees, and calm.  Rather then adjusting to the conditions I was stubborn and wanted to catch them "my way", well my way landed me in the bottom 1/3 of the field that day.  

Now its onto all things fall.  Chased some Wapiti for a week in NM already, and next up will be some deer.  Not to forget there is some of the best fishing of the year upon us.  Hard to make time for it all.  When not fishing or hunting I will be working on 2023 sponsor stuff as well as raising our boy who will be one in mid Nov.  Just not sure where the time goes, it just seems like all the seasons run together and there is very little down time.  

Last but not least, yes ice fishing is right around the corner(hate to get ahead of myself) and once again we will be going into Canada this winter for some back country ice fishing trips.  This is great news now that the border has relaxed their restrictions.  Excited to say the least.  If you want to do the ultimate adventure, get a-hold of me now and we can go over dates and details.  But make sure you are ready to bring your A game and like riding the Polaris to uncharted waters.  

Classic Bass Champions Tour opened the season on Pool 4 and 5 of the Mississippi River out of Wabasha MN and it was an event that I had high hopes for but came up a bit short, 26th out of 51 boats.  This bass though was my highlight of my day, in amongst a bunch of small smllmouth was this 3lb 15oz big head that decided to eat my senko.  At that point I thought maybe my day would turn around.    

All week in practice I had been finding lots of bass that wanted to cooperate but as the week went on, I realized those fish were very conditional.  If the right conditions would have prevailed I am certain it would have been a much different result.  We had rather cool weather all week and off and on rain and the smallmouth that call the river home sure liked to chew.  Day of the tournament we had just the opposite, it was pretty clear, high skies, much warmer temps, and a bit breezy.  It made the day challenging for all the anglers.  I tried to make a few adjustments throughout the day, but I just never could figure out how these fish wanted it presented and where.  I went from the lowest of current areas to some of the higher current seams and nothing seem to go right for me.  

Back to guiding at Mille Lacs now and then I will be packing up for Lake Vermillion for stop #2 and hopefully we can right the ship and get back on track.  It's gonna be a fun one.  

Until next time, Fish On!  Get out and stretch the string.  

FishVault is a Family / Veteran Owned subscription brand focused on fishing gear. It was established in 2019 by the team that developed HuntVault - the first ever hunting-specific subscription box.

The goal with FishVault is to introduce members to new brands and products they might not otherwise encounter in addition to innovative and industry famous products – all while giving back to causes near and dear to our team’s collective heart.

We have some pretty special fishing trips planned this summer and you will want to keep your eye out for some pretty neat things that we will be doing in collaboration.  

Stay tuned for more, but in the mean time, check out FishVault and get yourself signed up, you won't be disappointed in the great brands of stuff they have.  

It has been a long winter here in MN and many lakes are still ice covered but we are starting to see open water in the metro.  

Excited to get started in May at Sturgeon Bay with big Smallmouth and then onto Mille Lacs Smallmouth.  I am booking trips now for both Mille Lacs Smallmouth as well as all the good metro bites.  Its going to be a spring/summer fishing season to remember with the cold spring we have been having.  Going to push the spawn back a bit and keep the fish shallow for weeks.  Get at me soon if you want to get out on the water for snatching or for some lowrance electronics training.  

Until next time, Fish On!  

1. Mathews V3X - The latest and greatest bow from Mathews just launched a few weeks ago and is going to be a hot item for the next 12 months.  It has some awesome new features including the bridge lock sight mounting system.  If you are looking to knock the socks of any bow hunter on your list, this one would leave them wow'd!

2. FXR Mens Expedition Lite Jacket - A jacket that we designed and worked on to be a killer layer piece under say your ice fishing gear but can also be worn as a stand alone piece.  It is designed for those guys that might not want to wear their bigger ice jacket but want warmth and comfort.  FXR nailed it with this piece. 

3. Polaris Auger Carrier - This is an acc that Polaris developed a few years ago and I have been running one for the past 2 ice seasons on my snowmobile.  You guys are all well aware that if I put my stamp of approval on anything it has to work, well this works and is a great addition to any ice fishermans arsenal.  There are many other great snowmobile acc available for the ice fisherman in your house if this one doesn't fit the bill.   

4. Lowrance Active Target - Although this item is $1,500 and you may not even be able to find one due to how popular they are, it is one of the best inventions in fishing in many years.  It can be used both on the boat and for ice fishing.  Will completely change your world when it comes to fishing any time of year.  I would not ice fish with out one, ever, its that amazing and fun.  

5. Recteq Pellet Grill - You will not be disappointed or regret this purchase.  Many different sizes available and I own everyone of them.  Jen purchased me my first one many years ago for my birthday and then gifted me a 340 for Christmas a few years back so I am able to take one on the road with me for cooking on fishing and hunting adventures.  Absolutely love my grills and the quality.  You ask anyone that owns a Recteq and they will second that they rock.  Not only is it this a great gift its a win win for all parties since you will be eating some of the best food of your life off this thing.  

6. Grizzly Grip Can - This is a very simple gift but one I have learned I can't live without on the boat, in the ice house, back at camp after a hunt, or just at the house.  Available in a few different colors to spice up your beverage holder.  It will honestly keep your beverage cold on the hottest of summer days on the boat.  Great stocking stuffer! 

7. Rapala R12 Heavy Duty Lithium Fillet Knife - I think a fillet knife or a knife in general has made my Christmas list every year and this year is no different.  This is an upgrade to the lithium knives we have used over the past 4-5 years and they really made some nice upgrades.  The one who does the fish filleting will appreciate this gift for many years to come.  

8. Relion Portable Power - If you live in the outdoor space its inevitable you will find yourself eventually in a situation where you wish you had POWER.  Well Relion has come up with a few different solutions to allow you to still be able to have power when unplugged from the world.  You can charge devices of all sorts, you can power a small fridge, TV, or many other items with the solutions they offer.  I have been using these portable power options and have found them to be so useful when in the middle of no where for days on end.  

9. Shimano Vanford 2500 or 3000 Spinning Reel(or 500 for ice fisherman) - Shimano made this spinning reel with the freshwater walleye and bass guy in mind.  It is light weight, strong, has an incredible drag, and priced to not break the bank.  An awesome reel packed with all the best features and reliability you would expect from Shimano.  

10. Strikemaster 40V Pro Lithium Auger - When you think the best ice auger in the world can't get better, they go out and make it better.  Hard to believe but this thing is the real deal and the ultimate for any ice fisherman on your list.  If they don't have an electric auger, look no further, they will never use a gas auger again after one day with this thing.  

11. Huntvault - Subscription based gift that keeps giving.  A fun way to give him or her something new and unexpected time and time again.  A surprise in every box of new hunting related items.  Right when you think they have everything, this proves there are new items they will appreciate in every box.  

12. OnX Hunt - An app that every outdoors person must have.  It is a wealth of knowledge and full of features for all hunting activities.  If they don't have this, it would be a must have for a stocking stuffer gift.  

The 21' soft water fishing and tournament season is behind us and it was once again a year to remember.  Had incredible time sharing a boat with guys in May and June at Lake Mille Lacs, went on to win the Whitefish Champions Tour in June, and eventually led the AOY race going into the final few events where I just couldn't fend off Noah for my 3rd AOY in 4 years.  I finished the tour season in 3rd in points and am already gearing up and getting things organized for next year.  

As many of you know, I love the fall and love chasing critters with my bow.  I spent much of September in MT chasing elk and was lucky enough to get a nice bull elk with my bow.  Hit the road right there after for a few weeks of shows with FXR and returned in time to spend a few days in the whitetail woods.  With the warmer the usual Nov temps our rut in WI was a little slower then years past and therefore I passed many young bucks with the hopes of seeing a big mature buck, but the one I was after just never showed himself. 

Presently, I have returned back home and was blessed with a beautiful baby boy on Nov 16th, Hunter David Peters.  Been spending the last few weeks with Hunter and keeping an eye on the weather as we all know the next season is about to start.  ICE ICE BABY!

Ice fishing on Lake Of The Woods has already started for those that are willing to poke around on a bit of sketchy ice yet.  In the next week it looks like we will be full steam ahead with ice fishing trips, snowmobile adventures, and many ice holes drilled.  Shaping up to be a great winter season and look forward to seeing many of you on the ice. 

I am going to drop a Christmas top 10 list for the outdoor enthusiasts who are looking for some of the latest and greatest gifts from the outdoor industry.

Until nex time, fish on!  

When the boys call and say they are looking to "lean on them", I do everything in my power to get around a few and we did exactly that this last week.  The fish are starting to get on a lot of their summer stuff and the weeds are great right now in most of MN largemouth lakes.  This particular day we were able to smash them on jig worms and flipping. 

With the fish starting to get deep into their summer haunts in search of food and cooler water we just had to soak the jigworm on the weed lines and they would eventually swim off with it.  Ken and Joe both caught fish over 5lbs with lots of fish in that 2-4lb range.  When I say lots, they probably boated over 60-70 bass on the day.  My worm supply was hurting by the end of the day.  

After a short jig worm lesson and a "keep your rod tip up" talk the guys were dialed the rest of the day with doubles and hook sets after hook sets.  The go to set up for jig worming is the G.Loomis NRX 852 JWR paired with my go to reel, a Shimano Twin Power 3000.  I spool it with 10lb power pro braid with a 10lb sunline fluoro leader.  

This young man is going to be one to watch for.  Joe is going to continue to hone his skills and before we know it, he will be taking guys lunch money at bass derbies.  He has the drive, passion, and determination to compete at the next level.  Thanks again guys for the great day on the water.  Until next time, Fish On!